Circuit-connector.



H. A. DOUGLAS.

ClRCUT CONNECTOR.

APPLICATION FlLED APR.17,1916.

Patent-ed Mar. 20, 1917.

I f I UNITED sTATEs PATENT ,-oEEIcE.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS, 0F BBONSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO DOUGLAS & BUDD CO., OF BRONSON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

CIRCUIT-CONNECTOR Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Applicationld April 17, 1916. Serial No. 91,547.

To aZZwhom/t may concern:

Be it knownthat I, HARRY A. DOUGLAS, citizen of the United States, residin at Bronson, in the county of Branch and tate of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful AImprovement in Circuit-Connectors, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompan ing drawings, forming a part of this spec' cation.

y invention relates to circuit connectors, a connector of myuinvention including a shell, a circuit continuing member coupled with the shelly and carrying two contacts, two additional contacts within the shell each for engaging one of the aforesaid contacts, a spring pressing each additional contact into engagement` with its complemental contact on said circuit continuing member, said circuit continuing member and the shell having interengaging coupling formations serving to position this circuit continuing member in inner and outer positions respectively to make and break circuit, one of said additional contacts having means for stopping its movement before said circuit con-,-

tinuing member reaches its outer position, while the spring pressing the other additional contact maintains this other additional contact in engagement with this circuit continuing member in its outer position, and a carrier for said additional contacts which is movable longitudinally within the shell. In the most complete embodiment of my invention I have employed a circuit continuing member at each end of the shell and have provided two pairs of contacts within the shell, 'one contact of each pair engaging one circuit continuing member nd the other contact of each pair engaging e other circuit/@continuing member and a spring interposed between the -contactsof each pair for maintaini them in engagement with the circuit contlnuing members, one only of the two contacts associated with the outer cir.

cuit continuing member that is adjustable longitudinally of the shell having means for stopping its movement after this circuitcontinuing member has left its inner pos1t1on and before it reaches its outer position.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accom anying drawing showing the preferred em odnnent thereof and in which Figure 1 is a view in elevation, partially in sectlon, of a structure lncluslve ofn'y invention; Fig. 2 illustrates certain of the parts shown in Fig. 1 in another adjustment; Fig. 3 is a view online 3 3 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 4 is a viewon line 4 4 of Eig-1 Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout-the different l figures.

The structure illustrated is inclusive of a shell 1, preferablymetallic,'inclosing a contact carrier 2 of insulating material which is movable longitudinally of the shell,`bein limited in such. movement by the inturne ears 3 and which carrier 2 is guided in its movement by theribs 31 that enters 'slots in the sides of the'carrier.

The connector illustrated is a so-called double lpole connector to which the invention is not to be limited. The contact carrier is shown as carrying two pairs of contacts, 4, 5, f

6, -7. The contacts 4, 5 of one pair are preferably in telescoping engagement as are the contacts 6, 7 of the other pair and allthcse contacts, except contact 6, are movable, withrelation to the carrier, in the .bores that are provided therethough and which extend longitudinally of the shell 1, and allof the contacts 4'- 5, 6 and 7 are movable with respect -to the shell irrespective of the interrelation of these -contacts and the carrier 2.

VThe contact 6 is desirably lsubstantially fixed with respect to the contact carrier 2. One of the circuit continuing portions which is adapted to be included in circuit by means of the connector is shown in the formof a lamp 8 whose filament 9 is 'connected with the lamp terminals 10 and 11 that are provided upon the end 'of the lamp base'12 (constituting. a circuit continuing member) y this lamp base constituting a contact carrier for the lamp terminals. The end of the'shell 1 that is to receive the base of the lamp is, provided with bayonet slots 13 (constituting shell that receives the plug 15 is providedv with bayonet slit; 1G cach' having two seats 19 and ZG (constituting coupling forma- 110 tions) that are separated longitudinally of the shell whereby the bayonet pins 21 (also constituting coupling formations) may be interengaged with the shell .at different places longitudinally thereof for the purpose of holding the plug 15 in assembly with the shell while the plug is either in an innerer outer position while assembled with the shell, the arrangement being such that when the plug is in its innermost position it will` be included in circuit with the lamp and when it is in its outermost position it will be excluded from such circuit.

While l have shown circuit continuing portions in the form of a lamp 8 and a conf necting plug 15, l do not wish to be limited to the nature of the circuit continuing portions that .may be connected by means of my connector.

The contacts 5 and 6 are in the form of spring barrels each housing a spring 22, one end of such spring engaging one end of its inclosng barrel while the other-end of such spring engages the plunger contact 11. or 7 that is'telescopically received within the bar rel. Thus each spring v22 is interposed between the telescopically engaging contacts oi?v a pair to maintain these contacts in their outermost positions or the positions permitted therefor by the contact carriers. The extent to which the plunger contacts may be outwardly thrust by the springs is limited by the shoulders 23 whereby the contacts of each pair are maintained in assembly when the plunger contacts 4;, 7 are out of engagement respectively with the contacts 10 and 17, a condition which arises when the contact carriers supporting these contacts 10 and 17 are withdrawn from the shell 1. The extent to which the current conveying contacting spring barrel 5 may be moved with reference to the contact carrier 2 is limited by shoulders, flanges or enlargements 24, 25. The shoulders 241, 251 upon the contact 6 are both in irm engage-` ment with .the contact carrier 2 and move with this contact carrier, the movement of the contact 6 being limited by the engagement of the carrier 2 with the ears 3. The arrangement of the contact carrier 2 'is such that the contact 7 will be constantly in engagement with the contact 17 when the plug 15 is in either of its positions. The distance between the iianges 24 and 25 of the contact 5 and between the carrier 2 and the lower ears 3 is such, however, that the spring within the contact 5 can cause this contact to follow the contact 16 only fora short distance when this contact is being put into its outer position. That is the contact 5 may be rmly pressed by the spring inclosed by this contact against the contact 16 when the plug 15 is in its innermost position (with the bayonet pins 21 in the seats 19) but cannot maintain such engagement when the bayo- Leanser net pins are in the seats 20. Thus when the plug 15 is in its innermost position the lamp is included in circuit and when this plug 1s in its outermost position the circuit of the lamp is broken at the'contacts 5 and 16. Both springs 22, however, continue the pressing engagement between the contacts 4 and 10 and contacts 6 and 11 whether the plug 15 is in its inner or outer position so that these springs both serve to maintain the bayonet pins 14 in the bayonet slots 13 as indicated. 1f the plug 15 is totally removed from the shell 1 then the spring 22 within the spring barrel 5 will continue the pressing engagement between the contacts 4 and 10 whereby the lamp 8 is still maintained in proper assembly-with the shell 1. If the lamp is removed from the shell then the spring 22 within the spring barrel 6 will maintain pressing engagement between the contacts 7 and 17 when the plug 15 is in either its inner or outer position while within the shell, the floating carrier 2 then resting against the upper ears 3, this spring then serving to maintain the plug and shell in assembly.

lt wilLbe observed that the telescopically related contacts of each pair are supplemented only by a spring that tends to spread them apart whereby the formation of compressible contacts employed in devices of this class is much simplified. By this telescopic arrangement of contacts there is only one place in each set of contacts where the contacts are in changing relation or in'sliding engagement with each other whereby the resistance in the portion of thelamp circuit extraneous tothe lamp is maintained at a minimum while at the same time the contacts of each set or pair are adapted to perform the mechanical functions apportioned to it. Moreover, the contacts 10 and 11 upon the carrier l2 may be more closely approached to the contacts 16 and 17 upon the carrier 15 inasmuch as the space occupied by the coupling contacts intervening between the contact carriers 12 and 15 is much reduced by means of my invention.l In my device, therefore, the aggregate length of the entire structure is materially shortened. While I have shown two pairs of such contacts and have given to one the mechanical function of holding circuit continuing members in mechanical assembly while these members are electrically separate, I do not wish to be limited to a construction in which the contact members of a pair of contacts are adapted to the function of conducting current as well as to the performance of the stated mechanical function, this double unctionobtaining when the structure is embodied in a double pole arrangement to which the invention is not to be limited.

While I have shown an arrangement in which the'plug 15 is adapted to be placed 130 i inl inner and outer'positions for the purpose of includin the lamp in and excluding it from circuit, I do not wish to be limited to this arrangement, it being apparent that mechanical separation between the contact 5 and the contact carrier 15 is not essential to the realization of all of the advantages of my invention.

Though the contacts of each pair 4, 5, 6, 7 are shown 'in sliding engagement, I do not wish to be limited'to this arrangement since the interposed spring 22 or other means could be relied upon for bringing the contacts between which such spring is interosed into electrical connection without reying upon the engagement between such contacts.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention I do not wish tobe limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made-withoutvdeparting from the spirit of my invention, but having thus described my invention I claim Aas new and desire to-secure by Letters Patent the following 1. A connector including a shell; a circuit continuing member within each end of the shell; twb pairs of contacts within the shell one contact of each pair engaging one circuit continuing member and the other contact of each pair engaging the other circuit continuing member; a spring interposed between the contacts of each pair for maintaining them in engagement with the circuit continuingmembers, one of said circuit continuing members and the shell having interengaging coupling formations serving to position this circuit continuing member in inner and outer positions respectively to make and break circuit, a contact, ofone pair, pressed toward this circuit continuing stantially ixed.`

2. A connector including a shell ;v a circuit continuing member coupled with the shelly and carryin two contacts; two additional contacts wit 'n the shell each for engaging one of the aforesaid contacts.;l a spring pressing each additional Contact into engagement with its complemental contact on said circuit continuing member,lsaid circuit continuin member and the shell having interengag-ing coupling 4formations serving to po-` sitlon this circuit continuing member in inner and outer positions respectively to make and bre'ak circuit, one of said` additional contacts having means for stopping its movement before said circuit continuing member reaches its outer position, while the spring pressing the other additional contact maintains this other ladditional contact in engagement with this circuit continuing member in its outer position; and a carrier for said. additional contacts which is movable longitudinally within the shell.

In witness whereof, I hereunto' subscribe my name thisth day of April, A. D. 1916.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

Witnesses:

HENRY C. BOWKER, WILL M. FOSTER. 

